Wednesday, July 31, 2013

MAE WEST plays Cleo Borden, a newly rich former dance hall queen, in "Goin' to Town" [1935] and Bess Flowers was seen briefly as a night club extra.• • Bess Flowers [23 November 1898 — 28 July 1984] • •• • Born in Sherman, Texas on 23 November 1898, pretty Bess Flowers was married in 1923 to an assistant director in Hollywood. Cullen Tate [1896 — 1947] was Cecil B. DeMille's A.D. After Tate's death in 1947, Bess wed William S. Holman, a studio manager at Columbia Studios. No doubt, these alliances kept her tied to the casting game of musical chairs in Tinseltown, though she was never tethered to the starting line-up, as it were.

• • Five-foot-eight and slim, she portrayed a mannequin and wore only sleek slices of chiffon in her earliest photoplays. But shortly after, she became a fully fledged "dress extra." • • If the term is new to you, a "dress extra" is a bit parts player who would buy her own clothes to wear in scenes. Rarely given dialogue, the dress extras fill in the frame, portraying department store buyers, auction attendees, party guests, passengers, pedestrians, and so on. Often these crowd scenes are trimmed or deleted. The up-side is that a popular dress extra could participate in many silent movies or motion pictures; the scene would not take more than a day to shoot. The down-side was the lack of career advancement.• • From 1923 — 1965, Bess Flowers was seen in more than 800 motion pictures and as an extra on TV shows. • • In 1924, the "Queen of the Hollywood Extras" gave birth to her only child, Patricia E. Tate [29 January 1924 — 1 August 1972]. Her daughter died at 48 years old.• • Bess Flowers died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California on Saturday, 28 July 1984. She was 85. • • On Wednesday, 31 July 1974 • •• • "Sex is good for you," says Mae West. And an interview published in The Australian Women's Weekly began with that provocative opening when they printed a profile of the sultry star. "I've never had anything to worry about," Mae assured the Aussie reporter. "It's always been success, success, success." ...• • [Source: The Australian Women's Weekly on page 29; published in Australia on Wednesday, 31 July 1974.]• • Save the Dates: August 12th and August 17th and 18th • • • • What: three events timed to celebrate the 120th birthday of Mae West, born in Brooklyn, NY on August 17, 1893

• • On Monday, 12 August 2013 at the Hudson Sq Library • • • • One afternoon only! • •• • When: Monday, August 12, 2013 from 4:00pm — 5:45pm [Seating from 3:45pm]• • Where: Hudson Branch Library, 66 Leroy St., New York, NY 10014; NOT accessible to wheelchairs • • Who + What: "Diamond Lil" by Mae West as a Reader's Theatre Experience with words and period songs and live music — a unique, unforgettable presentation• • Cast: Costumed in 1890s Bowery style, actress Darlene Violette and actor Sidney Myer present the 1932 novel "Diamond Lil" written by Mae West in Mae's words — enhanced
with period songs and live music by Brian McInnis. At intervals,
historian and playwright LindaAnn Loschiavo leads an "Armchair Tour"
through the boisterous Bowery and Chinatown of the 1890s with rare
vintage images you have never seen before. • • What else: The ever-popular Mae West Raffle. • • August 12th Admission and Raffle Tickets: FREE. • • RSVP: Email MaeWestDiamondLil (at) gmail (dot) com • • Closest MTA subway stations: Christopher St. or West Fourth St.; or the M7 bus. • • Closest PATH station: Christopher St. • • The public is invited (suitable for age 18 and over)• • The library has a spacious auditorium so tell your fun-loving friends about this!• • All of the sex and none of the censorship . . . • • • • The novel "Diamond Lil"
closely follows the 3-hour production Mae performed onstage from 1928 —
1951, and it is much more exciting than the family-friendly screen
version. Playwright LindaAnn Loschiavo massaged Mae's classic opus into
an 85-minute adaptation featuring all of the sex and none of the
censorship. No intermission. • • There will be two stagings of "Diamond Lil" on August 17th and August 18th in Manhattan, both in midtown. Don't miss out.

• • Find out more details (both addresses, performance times, ticket prices, cast) here: http://maewest.blogspot.com/2013/07/mae-west-3-events-in-august.html• • Updates: facebook.com/MaeWestDiamondLil• • In Her Own Words • •• • Mae West said: "I did not change my way of life. I harmed no one. I had a philosophy, an idea of how to live fully and in my way. I believed in it as fully and as strongly as I believed in being an American."• • Quote, Unquote • •• • The Observer (London) mentioned Mae West.• • Tracy McVeigh wrote: ''Marriage is a fine institution," said 1930s film star Mae West. "But I'm not ready for an institution." And now, according to figures just released by the Office for National Statistics, we're all falling out of love with marriage. ...• • Source: Article: "To have and to hold — but not necessarily to marry" written by Tracy McVeigh for The Observer; published on Saturday, 13 July 2013• • By the Numbers • •• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2705th blog post.
Unlike many blogs, which
draw
upon
reprinted
content
from
a
newspaper
or
a
magazine
and/
or
summaries,
links,
or
photos,
the
mainstay
of
this
blog
is
its
fresh
material
focused
on
the
life
and
career
of
Mae
West,
herself
an
American
original.•
•
Come
up
and
see
Mae
every
day
online:
http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/________Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xmlMae West• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 3 Diamond Lil events • •• • Feed — —http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWestNYC Mae West

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

MAE WEST invites you to come up to see her during the month of August. There are three events and three different locations in Manhattan. • • Save the Dates: August 12th and August 17th and 18th • • • • What: three events timed to celebrate the 120th birthday of Mae West, born in Brooklyn, NY on August 17, 1893

• • On Monday, 12 August 2013 at the Hudson Sq Library • • • • One afternoon only! • •• • When: Monday, August 12, 2013 from 4:00pm — 5:45pm [Seating from 3:45pm]• • Where: Hudson Branch Library, 66 Leroy St., New York, NY 10014; NOT accessible to wheelchairs • • Who + What: "Diamond Lil" by Mae West as a Reader's Theatre Experience with words and period songs and live music — a unique, unforgettable presentation• • Cast: Costumed in 1890s Bowery style, actress Darlene Violette and actor Sidney Myer present the 1932 novel "Diamond Lil" written by Mae West in Mae's words — enhanced with period songs and live music by Brian McInnis. At intervals, historian and playwright LindaAnn Loschiavo leads an "Armchair Tour" through the boisterous Bowery and Chinatown of the 1890s with rare vintage images you have never seen before. • • What else: The ever-popular Mae West Raffle. • • August 12th Admission and Raffle Tickets: FREE. • • RSVP: Email MaeWestDiamondLil (at) gmail (dot) com • • Closest MTA subway stations: Christopher St. or West Fourth St.; or the M7 bus. • • Closest PATH station: Christopher St. • • The public is invited (suitable for age 18 and over)• • The library has a spacious auditorium so tell your fun-loving friends about this!

• • All of the sex and none of the censorship . . . • • • • The novel "Diamond Lil" closely follows the 3-hour production Mae performed onstage from 1928 — 1951, and it is much more exciting than the family-friendly screen version. Playwright LindaAnn Loschiavo massaged Mae's classic opus into an 85-minute adaptation featuring all of the sex and none of the censorship. No intermission. • • There will be two stagings of "Diamond Lil" on August 17th and August 18th in NYC.• • On Saturday, 17 August 2013 at 7:30pm on West 38th St. • • • • One night only! • •• • Where: John Strasberg Studios, 555 8th Avenue, Suite 2310, New York, NY 10018; accessible to wheelchairs • • What: "Diamond Lil" by Mae West in a new adaptation for the stage by LindaAnn Loschiavo — and costumed in 1890s Bowery style• • Cast: Starring Darlene Violette as Diamond Lil, Queen of the Bowery and also featuring Sidney Myer, Anthony DiCarlo, Joanna Bonaro, Gary Napoli, Juan Sebastian Cortes, Kimmy Foskett, Jim Gallagher and live music by Brian McInnis• • August 17th Mae West Raffle Tickets are free• • August 17th Admission: $10 — must be pre-paid!• • RSVP: Advance sale tickets: you must email MaeWestDiamondLil (at) gmail (dot) com • • Closest MTA subway stations: 42nd St./ Times Sq. via A, C, E, 1, 2, 3 • • The public is invited (suitable for age 18 and over)• • Updates: facebook.com/MaeWestDiamondLil• • On Sunday, 18 August 2013 at 7:00pm on West 46th St. • • • • One night only! • •

• • Where: Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC 10036; T. (212) 757-0788• • What: "Diamond Lil" by Mae West in a new adaptation for the stage by LindaAnn Loschiavo — and costumed in 1890s Bowery style• • Cast: Starring Darlene Violette as Diamond Lil, Queen of the Bowery and also featuring Sidney Myer, Anthony DiCarlo, Joanna Bonaro, Gary Napoli, Juan Sebastian Cortes, Kimmy Foskett, Jim Gallagher and live music by Brian McInnis• • August 18th Mae West Raffle Tickets are free• • RSVP: August 18th Admission: $15.00 cover charge plus a two drink minimum • • Reservations: www.donttellmamanyc.com• • Closest MTA subway stations: 42nd St./ Times Sq. via A, C, E, 1, 2, 3 • • The public is invited (suitable for age 18 and over). Join us as we turn the iconic NYC nightspot Don't Tell Mama into Gus Jordan's "Suicide Hall"!• • Updates: facebook.com/MaeWestDiamondLil• • By the Numbers • •• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2704th blog post.
Unlike many blogs, which
draw
upon
reprinted
content
from
a
newspaper
or
a
magazine
and/
or
summaries,
links,
or
photos,
the
mainstay
of
this
blog
is
its
fresh
material
focused
on
the
life
and
career
of
Mae
West,
herself
an
American
original.•
•
Come
up
and
see
Mae
every
day
online:
http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/________Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xmlMae West• • Photo: • • Mae West • • Diamond Lil • •• • Feed — —http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWestNYC Mae West

Monday, July 29, 2013

MAE WEST played Cleo Borden in "Goin' to Town" [1935] — — and Manuel París was seen as a horse bettor at the racetrack. • • Manuel París [27 July 1894 — 19 November 1959] • • • • Born in Valencia, Spain on Friday, 27 July 1894, the future actor's birthname was Manuel R. Conesa. When he was 20 years old, he began to act in silent movies made for a Spanish-language audience.• • From 1914 — 1959, Manuel París was seen in more than 140 motion pictures and guest-starred seven times on popular TV shows during the 1950s. Perhaps a heavy accent limited the range of parts he was qualified for. Invariably, his uncredited roles ran to bartender, butler, croupier, desk clerk, doorman, gambler, servant, or waiter as well as Spanish official, Mexican soldier, Beaming Peruvian at Bullfight, and Cuban cousin.• • Manuel París was 41 when he got a chance to be in a Mae West movie. In 1959, he was cast in his last film, which was set in Spain and had a large cast of Latino extras, Warner Brothers' "The Miracle" [1959]. • • He never got a chance to retire but died the same year in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California on 19 November 1959. He was 65.• • On Thursday, 29 July 1937 • •• • Frank Wallace and the on-going lawsuit he initiated, to get the court to recognize his marriage in 1911 to Mae West, made enough waves in the news media. However, an item in the Los Angeles Citizen-News on Thursday, 29 July 1937 reported that Paramount Pictures "announced 98% of her fan mail had been favorable" despite the divorce debacle.

• • Save the Dates: August 12th and August 17th and 18th • •
• • What: 2 events timed to celebrate the 120th birthday of Mae West, born in Brooklyn, NY on August 17, 1893• • When: (A.) Monday, August 12, 2013 from 4:00pm — 5:45pm [Seating from 3:45pm]• • Where: (A.) Hudson Branch Library, 66 Leroy St., New York, NY 10014; NOT accessible to wheelchairs
• • Who:
(A.) Reader's Theatre Cast: Costumed in 1890s Bowery style, actress
Darlene Violette and actor Sidney Myer present the 1932 novel "Diamond Lil"
written by Mae West in Mae's words and period songs with live music by
Brian McInnis. At intervals, historian and playwright LindaAnn
Loschiavo leads an "Armchair Tour" through the boisterous Bowery and
Chinatown of the 1890s.
• • What else: The ever-popular Mae West Raffle.
• • August 12th Admission and Raffle Tickets: FREE.
• • RSVP: 212-243-6876 [Hudson Branch Library's phone]• • Closest MTA subway stations: Christopher St. or West Fourth St.; or the M7 bus.
• • Closest PATH station: Christopher St.
• • The public is invited (suitable for age 18 and over)• • All of the sex and none of the censorship . . . • • • • Two stagings of "Diamond Lil" on August 17th and August 18th.• • When: (B.) Saturday, August 17, 2013 — in the evening
• • Where: (B.) John Strasberg Studios, 555 8th Avenue, Suite 2310, New York, NY 10018; accessible to wheelchairs
• • When: (C.) Sunday, August 18, 2013 — 7:00 pm • • Where: (C.) Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC• • Who: (B. and C.) A new staged version of the 1932 novel "Diamond Lil"
written by Mae West starring Darlene Violette, Sidney Myer, and TBA.
Live music by Brian McInnis. The novel, which closely follows the
3-hour production Mae performed onstage from 1928 — 1951, is more exciting than the family-friendly screen version. Playwright
LindaAnn Loschiavo massaged Mae's classic opus into an 85-minute
adaptation featuring all of the sex and none of the censorship. No
intermission.
• • What else: The ever-popular Mae West Raffle and birthday festivities.
• • August 17th and 18th Admission: reserved seating only (payment info will follow)
• • Closest MTA subway stations: 42nd St./ Times Sq. via A, C, E, 1, 2, 3
• • In Her Own Words • •• • Mae West said: "I don't hold a grudge against Frankie [Frank Wallace] but I would just as leave he wouldn't come up to see me. In fact, I do not want to see him any time."• • Quote, Unquote • •• • An article printed in Australia mentioned Mae West's midriff.• • When the newspaper printed this item, Mae would have been 60 years old. Clearly, the poison pen behind this snarky sarcasm felt comfortable peek-a-booing from behind the safety and anonymity of the AAP bunker. • • The Australian Associated Press wrote: New York, July 28 (AAP) — Mae West, 60, opened a two-week stand at the Las Vegas, Nevada Sahara Hotel last night, selling the same kind of entertainment that launched her career 30 years ago. She wore a black sequined gown, which left bare a not-too-trim midriff. ...• • Source: Item: "Not So Trim" written by AAP and syndicated; printed in The Courier-Mail on page 1; published on Thursday, 29 July 1954 • • By the Numbers • •• • The Mae West Blog was started nine years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2703rd blog post.
Unlike many blogs, which
draw
upon
reprinted
content
from
a
newspaper
or
a
magazine
and/
or
summaries,
links,
or
photos,
the
mainstay
of
this
blog
is
its
fresh
material
focused
on
the
life
and
career
of
Mae
West,
herself
an
American
original.•
•
Come
up
and
see
Mae
every
day
online:
http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/________Source:http://maewest.blogspot.com/atom.xmlMae West• • Photo: • • Mae West • • Diamond Lil • •• • Feed — —http://feeds2.feedburner.com/MaeWestNYC Mae West